Card-system filing device



Sept. 23 1924.

w. G. CONOVER cum SYSTEM FILING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1919 2Sheets-Sheet. l

"' IVEYS- Sept. 23 1924. 1,509,640

W. G. CONOVER CARD SYSTEM FILING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1919 2Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTOR,

I M M W Arm/Mrs.

till:

Patented Sept, 23, W24

WILLIAM G". CONOVER, F PH ILADELZPEIA, rnunsrtvaura.

CARD-$YS'IEM FILING DEVICE.

Application filed April 11, 1919. Serial No. 289,220.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ILLIAM Gr. CoNovnn, 4

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulCardSystem Filing Device, of which the following is a specification,

My invention consists of a filing device for a card system embodyingjournals of novel construction attachable to-the cards, and a tray whichis provided with runways in which said journals are freely mounted,whereby the cards may lie flat upon and close to each other and they maybe turned with ease to present a desired card to view, and cards may beremoved and other cards may be inserted according to requirements in aconvenient manner.

lit also consists of a multiplication of the trays so as to increase therange of the number of cards employed, and adapting the several trays tobe folded in compact form.

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanyin drawing,but the important instrumenta ities thereof may be varied, and so it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificdetails shown and described, as long as they are within the spirit orscope of the claims,

- Figure 1 represents a face view of a card system filing deviceembodying my invention.

Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section of a portion thereof on anenlarged scale.

' Figure 3 represents a bottom plan view of the device.

Figure 4:; represents an elevation of a portion of one of the cards inoverturned condition.

Figure 5 representsa perspective view of one of the journals of a card.

Figures 6' and 7 represent perspective views of portions of otherembodiments of the invention, one of the journals in Figure 7 being cutaway to show the interior thereof.

Figure 8 represents plicity of card system ing my invention.

Figure 9 represents an elevitionof the device shown in Figure 8, infolded condition.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

a face view of a multifiling devices embody- Referring to the drawings.1 designates a tray which is constructed of the back 2 consisting of aboard or plate,

and the longitudinally err-tending angular bars 3 on the sides thereof,said bars having side limbs secured to the sides of the back 2, andfront limbs set out from the front face of the board forming togetherwith said back the runways 4. i

5 designates a series of filing cards which are imposed freely one onthe other on the back of the tray with the lower portions of the severalcards exposed, the same being adapted to have on each thereofdesignatingmatter such as the name of a customer, an index, or other matter. @n theupper ends of said cards at the corners thereof are the journals 6 whichextend laterally from the clips 7, the latter and so supporting thejournals in operative position or laterally outward from the cards in afirm and durable manner, it being noticed that the opposite journals ofthe cards occupy the runways therein by the front limbs thereof, theseveral journals of each side being placed freely one against the otherin horizontal. position, independent of each other, so that theyvarerotatable and slidable in the runways, whereby any card can be turned upand over so as to present its under face to the front, said face havingthereon columns of months, matter serviceable in a card index system, asshown in Figure l.

In order to retain the several journals in position, there are placed inthe runway against the journals of the upper card the blocks 8 which areconnected by a cross rod formed of telescopic tubes 9 and 10 withinwhich is the spring or resilient member 11 which serves to press saidtubes 9 and 10, and consequently the blocks 8 in opposite directions andforce the latter resiliently against the sides of the runways and holdthem frictionally thereon, it being evident that when the tubes arepressed together the blocks 8 are relieved of pressure and so they maybe moved in the runways to permit the cards to be separated to withdrawany of the same or apply additional cards to the tray, it being evidentthat any cards may be bent so as to reduce the right-lined width of thesame when the journals may be manipulated to be slipped out from underthe front limbs of the runways. The card may name and address spaces andother being secured to said ends 4: and are retained be returned to oranother card applied to the tray by bending it so that its journals maybe inserted under the front limbs of the runways, when the card is letgo and it springs back to its normal condition resting in the tray withthe others in flat and straight condition.

The cards are prevented from shifting downwardly or dropping out of therunways y means of the stop pieces 12 which are fixed in the lowerportions of the runways against the journals of the lower cards, so thatsaid journals rest on said pieces, the effect of which is evident. Thejournals and clips are integral, formed each of a piece of suitablemetal cut so that a portion thereof may be curved into the form of atube, (the meeting line of the edges being indicated by dotted line inFigure 5) which comprises a journal, and another portion is bent intothe form of a channel which comprises a clip, said channel being adaptedto receive the edge portion of a card. Then the walls of the clip areprick-punched as at 13 so that the punches enter the card and cause thelatter to have the clips firmly connected therewith, it being seenalsothat the journals and clips are strong, light and inexpensive inconstruction.

In Figure 6, I show the opposite clips 7 of a card continuous with eachother as at 7*, serving as a brace or stiffener for the entire width ofthe upper edge of the card to which it is secured.

In Figure 7 I show a piece 14 say of resilient Wire or other materialwhich extends along the upper edge of the card and has its ends insertedfreely in the tubular journals of the card serving as a guide so that ifa flexible card in the process of handling should have its journalswithdrawn from the runwa s, when the pressure is released, the journa smay. follow the wire as a guide and occupy the journal position withrespect to the'other journals in-the runway.

In Figure 8 I show a multiplication of trays each to be equipped withcards having appurtenances as hereinbefore described to increase therange of the number of cards, said multiplication of trays being shownfolded as in Figure 9, producing a unit of said tray convenient forhandling, packing, transportation, storage and space preserving.

It will be seen that cards may be inserted in any location of the seriesthereof, and the journals are of uniform diameters which results in thepreservation of complete alignment of the lower edges of the cards, andmoreover makes the marginal edges for indexing equidistant.

It will be seen also that owing to the stiffening member where cards ofextra width or great flexibility are employed, which in rough or rapidhandling would have their and hold journals withdrawn from the runways,such cards may have the journals automatically regain their properposition when the pressure is released by finding their way along thestiffener into their former positions in the runways.

aving thus described my invention what claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a card system filing device, a journal for a card adapted toextend laterally therefrom and permit the card to be rotatable andslidable on its mounting, and a clip from which said journal extends,said clip being adapted to be attached to the card, said cli beingformed with means which are adapter to penetrate the card and fix theclip thereto.

In a card system filing device, a journal member for a card adapted toextend laterally therefrom and permit the card to be retatable andslidable on its mounting, and a clip from which said journal extends,said clip being of channel form adapted to embrace the edge portion of acard and to be secured thereto, said clip and journal being integral.

3. In a card system filin device, a card provided with ournals, t 1elatter being adapted to extend laterally from said card and to bemounted on a tray thereby adapting the card to be connected with saidtray and made rotatable and slidable thereon, said journals beingconnected with clips which are integral therewith and adapted to beconnected with the edge portion of the card and means whereby they aresecured thereto.

4. In a card system filing device, hollow journals adapted to extendlaterally from a card, a card, clips on said journals adapted to connectthe latter with said card, and a stiffening member adapted to extendacross the card and have its end portions freely occupy said journals.

5. In a card filing device, a tray with runways thereon, journal membersfor a card adapted to extend therefrom into said runways and ermit thecard to be rotatable and slidab e in said runways, and clips adapted tosupport said journals, said clips being of channel form adapted toembrace securely the edge portion of a card, said clips beingrespectively,integral with their journals.

6. In a card filing device, a tray with runways thereon, a series ofcards, journal members for said cards adapted to extend therefrom intosaid runways and permit the cards to be rotatable and slidable in saidrunways, clips two for each card adapted to support said journals,saidclips being of channel forni adapted to embrace securely the edgeportion of a card and having means to engage the card in the channels,said journals having uniform diameters adapting said series of cards tobe spaced equidischanneled clip integral therewith, the latter 1 tantly,thus providing uniform marginal being adapted to'embrace tightly theedge spaces where they overlap for indicating ortion of a card, and theformer extending matter aterally from the card and adapted to freely 7.In a card filin system, a tray having a occupy said runway.

runway therein, an means for connecting a. WIL IAM G. CONOVER.

cardwith saidtray rotatable and slidable in Witnesses:

said runway, saidmeans consisting of mem- MAY 'F. HILES,

hers of the form of a tubular journalyand a MRS. M. MELLOY..

